ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on Victorian material studies by moving beyond the examination of objects in museums, exhibitions, and collections–where prior studies have been ably concentrated–to focus instead on objects in use in everyday contexts. It discusses scrutinize domestic spaces similar to that represented in Walter Crane's illustration. The book also discusses investment in materialist as well as textual studies to better understand the contingent and dynamic processes of enacting middle-class Britishness in the period. It explores materialist understanding of imperial Britain by tracking how preoccupations with common household goods and domestic habits fueled contemporary debates about cultural institutions ranging from personal matters of marriage and family to more overtly political issues of empire building. The book focuses on common, everyday objects presents readers with the opportunity to view "Imperial Britain" through a double focus, the simultaneous consideration of home and abroad.
